Railway-signaling.



No. 869,531. PATENTBD OCT. 29. 1907. J. B. STRUBLE.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 28, 1906.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JACOB B. STRUBLE, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO THE UNION SWITCH 8:SIGNAL COMPANY, OF SWISSVA LE, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OFPENNSYLVANIA.

RAILWAY SIGNALING.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 29, 1907.

Application filed June 28. 1906. Serial No. 323.828.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JACOB B. STRUBLE, of the borough of Manhattan, city,county, and State of New York, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Railway Signaling, of which the following is aspecification.

My invention relates to railway signaling.

My invention has particular reference in railway signaling to the use ofapparatus by means of which an alternating current impressed uponconductors extending along the railway, may be changed to direct currentand the changed current (direct current) used in circuits and to operateapparatus and devices which may be employed for controlling the passageof cars or trains along a railway.

I will describe an embodiment of my invention and then point out thenovel features thereof in claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of aportion of a railway and railway signals arranged along the railway andshowing the application of my invention. One portion of the figureillustrates the use of an alternating current in atrack circuit, andanother portion illustrates the use of a direct current in a trackcircuit. Figs. 2 and 3 are views showing the utilization of therectifier as a circuit controller for operating a signal.

Referring now to Fig. 1, A designates an alternating.

current generator, and a a feed wires extending therefrom along therailway A. The railway A is divided into block sections B, B, 13*, Betc. by means of insulation b placed in one or both of the lines ofrails of the railway. Each block section is provided with a trackcircuit formed in part by the opposite rails of the block section andincluding a suitable source of current and relay responsive to thecurrent. The track circuit of block section B includes a source ofalternating current, while the track circuit of block section 13includes a source of direct current. At the entrance end of each blocksection a railway signal G, G, etc. of any of the well known automatictypes may be employed. In the drawings I have diagrammaticallyillustrated the semaphore type of railway signal, 9 designating theoperating mechanism thereof.

C designates a transformer, the primary of which is in circuit with thefeeders a, a. The secondary winding is connected with conductors 5, 6.8, 9, designate conductors which are joined to the conductors 5, 6, andinclude alight 7 of the adjacent railway signal G. The conductors 8, 9,are also connected with the track rails of block section B throughconductors 50, 51, one of which includes a non-inductive resistance T,the purpose of which is to limit the flow of alternating current to thetrack circuit, when a car is on the track rails of the block section.

D designates a transformer, the primary of which is connected with theconductors 5, 6. A switchd may be employed on one side of the connectionto cut out a portion of the primary of the transformer D and thus adjustthe amount of current flowing through the primary winding.

E designates a mercury arc rectifier of any approved form, the anodes eand e of which are connected by wires 10 and 11 to the secondary windingof the transformer D. The mercury cathode is-indicated by f. Adjacent tothe cathode f the rectifier is provided with a small pocket g containingmercury, which mercury is electrically connected to the secondary of thetransformer D by a wire 12, for a purpose to be hereinafter referred to.

II designates a track relay for the block sectign B the armature h ofwhich is adapted, when the relay is energized, to engage a contact hconnected by a Wire 13 with the mercury cathode f. A wire 14, leads fromthe armature h to the operating mechanism g and a wire 15 leads from theoperating mechanism to the middle of the secondary of the transformer D.

I is an induction coil which stores energy on increase of A. C. wave andgives it out as the wave crosses zero, thus maintaining the are.

The action of the rectifier is well understood and need not bespecifically described herein. its purpose in the instance justdescribed is to convert the alternating current from the feeder a a intoa direct current, which direct current is intended for the operation ofthe operating mechanism of the railway signal G. It will be observedthat as long as the relay H is energized, a circuit for the directcurrent from the rectifier will be maintained from the cathode f,

through wire 13, armature 72, wire 14, motor g and wire 15 to secondaryof transformer D. Thence, in accordance with the direction of A. C.potential, by wire 10 or 11 and their respective anodes e one and by themercury arc to cathode f. Under such conditions the signal G will beheld at safety. As soon as a train enters onto the section 13 containingthe relay H the latter will be deenergized and its armature will fallaway from contact h and thus break the motor circuit at this point. inthese rectifiers it is well known that if the arc is broken it isdifficult to reestablish it again, and to overcome this difficulty thewires 13 and 15 are bridged across by a resistance It. When, therefore,the circuit is broken at h suflicient current will flow via f, 13, 1t,15, and the secondary of transformer D to maintain the are between theanodes and the cathode.

The rectifier is pivoted in any suitable manner at P and is connected bymeans of a bar 1) operated by a suitable form of motor. The bar is hereshown as connected with the core of a solenoid Q, said solenoid beingconnected by wires 16 and 17 with the secondary f as indicated in Fig.'3.

of the transformer C. As long as the current flows uninterrupt diythrough the main wires a a, the solenoid will maintain the rectifier inthe position indicated in Fig. I. Should the current be interrupted forany reason whatever, as frequently happens, the solenoid will bedeenergized and the core will drop until arrested by a stop o and therectifier will he tilted as indicated in Fig. 3. This will result inconnecting the mercury in the pocket 9 with the mercury cathode When thecurrent again flows through the wires a (1 induced current will flow(see Fig. 1) through wire 12, resistance R, and the connected mercury tothe wire 13 and thence to the secondary of transformer D. At the sametime the solenoid will operate to restore the rectifier to normalposition and the mercury will be again separated and the arc will bereestablished between the anodes and the cathode. The resistance It isfor the purpose of preventing an excessive flow of current before thearc is established. The direct current employed for the track circuit ofblocksection I3 and also for the track circuit of block section B isfurnished by the rectifier E at the right of Fig. 1. This rectifier alsofurnishes direct current for the signal light 7" of railway signal G, aswell as for operating mechanism of the railway signal. In this case onlyone transformer is interposed between the main wires and the rectifier.D designates such transformer. In this application of my i11- vention,direct current is conveyed to the track rails by conductors 20 and 21leading from the conductors l3 and i5, and the signal light 7 isincluded in branches leading from these conductors. in this form of theinvention the resistance R is not necessary as a circuit is maintainedthrough the track rails even if the signal motor circuit is broken atIt. The operation of the device is otherwise the sanie as previouslydescribed in connection with Fig. 1.

Referring now to Figs. 2 and 3, I have shown an arrangement of circuitsby means of which the presence or absence of current through therectifier is used to control the operation of the railway signal. Inthis case the source of the track current is not shown, for blocksection B but it may be derived from any source and be eitheralternating or direct current. In this case two transformers C and D areemployed, but the secondary of the transformer (2 is connected on oneside to the primary of the transformer D by conductors 23 and 24, theformer being connected to the armature h of the track relay H and thelatter terminates in a contact h which will be engaged by the armature hwhen the relay H is energized. The direct current from the rectifierpasses through the conductor 13 directly to the operating mechanism 9.

When the parts are in the position shown in Fig. 2, the operatingmechanism g is acting to hold the signal device at safety. When,however, a car passes on to the block section 13 containing the relay Hthe current therefor will be short circuited and the armature it willdisengage the contact h and thus open the circuit of the secondary ofthe transformer D or to the solenoid Q, and thus prevent the operationof the rectifier ll. This will cut off direct current to the operating1110(11- anism g, and at the same time the rectifier will tilt to theposition shown in Fig. 3. Thus the railway signal G will indicatedanger. As soon as the car passes off the section containing the relayH, the l tt r will again become energized and close the circuit at h, h,and current will then again flow from the transformer C to thetransformer D and to the solenoid Q and the rectifier will be restoredto normal position, the are be again established between the anodes e,c, and the cathod e f in the same manner as already described inconnection with Fig. l. The operating mechanism g will also be againenergized and will move the signal device of the railway signal (l toindicate safety- Having thus described my invention, 1 claim:

1. In electric or other railway signaling, the combination of apparatusadapted to be operated by a direct-current, a. source of alternatingcurrent supply, a mercury arc rectifier for changing the alternatingcurrent to direct current, means for applying the direct current to theapparatus to be operated, a track circuit, and means operated by thetrack circuit for interrupting the supply of direct current to saidapparatus.

2. In electric or other railway signaling, tion of apparatus adapted tobe operated by rent, a source of alternating current supply, a. mercuryarc rectifier for changing the alternating current to direct current,means for applying the direct current to the apparatus to be operated, atrack circuit, and means operated by the track circuit for interruptingthe supply of direct current to said apparatus while the current ismaintained through the rectifier.

3. in railway signaling, the combination of apparatus adapted to beoperated by direct current, a source of alternating current supply, apivoted mercury arc rectifier for changing the alternating current todirect current, means for permitting the rectifier to tilt when thealternating current is interrupted, means for establishing a circuitthrough the rectifier when tilted, means operated by the alternatingcurrent for restoring the rectifier to normal position when the supplyof alternating current is resumed, and means for applying the directcurrent to the apparatus to be operated.

4. In railway signaling, the combination of apparatus adapted to beoperated by direct current, a source of alternating current supply, apivoted mercury arc rectifier for changing the alternating current todirect current, a solenoid for controlling the position of the rectifierand to the core of which the rectifier is connected, said solenoid beingoperated by the alternating current, means for limit ing the tilting ofthe rectifier when the solenoid is deenergized, means for establishing acircuit through the rectifier when in tilted position, and means forconveying direct current from the rectifier to the apparatus to beoperated.

5. In railway signaling, the combination of a direct current motor foroperating a signal, a source of alternating current supply, a. mercuryarc rectifier connected to the alternating current supply and to themotor to transmit direct current to the latter, a track relay for makingand breaking the circuit between the alternating current supply and therectifier, and means permitting the rectifier to move when said circuitis broken and for restoring it to normal position .when the circuit isagain closed.

6. In railway signaling, the combination of a direct current motor foroperating a signal, a source of alternating current supply, a mercuryarc rectifier connected to the alternating current supply and to themotor to transmit direct current to the latter, and means for moving therectifier to control the supply of direct current to the motor.

7. In railway signaling, the combination of a direct our rent motor foroperating a signal, a source of alternating current supply, a mercuryarc rectifier connected to the alternating current supply and to themotor to transmit direct current to the motor, a solenoid operated bythe alternating current and to the core of which the rectifier isconnected to be moved by the movements of the core and thereby controlthe supply of direct current to the motor, and a track relay for makingand breaking the circuits between the alternating current supply and thesolenoid and the rectifier.

the combinaa direct cur 8. In railway signaling, the combination ofapparatus to be operated by a direct current, a source of alternatingcurrent supply, a mercury rectifier for converting the alternatingcurrent into a direct current, and means for destroying and establishingthe arc of the mercury rectifier whereby it is caused to cease operatingand to again operate.

9. In railway signaling, the combination of apparatus to be operated bya direct current, a source of alternating current supply, a mercuryrectifier for converting the alternating current into a direct current,and automatically operated means for destroying and establishing the arcof the mercury rectifier whereby it is caused to cease operating and toagain operate.

10. In railway signaling, the combination of apparatus to be operated bya direct current, a source of alternating current supply, a mercuryrectifier for converting the alternating current into a direct current,and train controlled means for destroying and establishing the arc ofthe mercury rectifier whereby it is caused to cease operating and toagain operate.

in testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribed witnesses.

JACOB B. STRUBLE.

Witnesses:

J, S. HoBsoN, W. H. CADWALLADER.

